Barack Obama released a short list of books he's been reading. Photo: Getty
Former US president Barack Obama has taken what is believed to be a thinly-veiled swipe at successor Donald Trump and his style of presidency by releasing a list of recommended reading.
In what the Washington Post described as the “most passive-aggressive move Barack Obama could make”, the former US leader posted a short list of books he has been reading to Facebook covering a range of voices and concerns for modern America.
“This summer I’ve been absorbed by new novels, revisited an old classic, and reaffirmed my faith in our ability to move forward together when we seek the truth,” he wrote.
Mr Obama’s book list comes after Mr Trump – who admitted he doesn’t have much time for reading – has been recommending a number of books to his Twitter followers.
The President’s list show a common theme of books portraying Mr Trump positively, or authored by Fox News anchors or friends and family of Mr Trump.
The books Mr Obama recommended are:
In stark contrast in style and ideology, the books Mr Trump has recommended include:
Book World editor Ron Charles writing for The Washington Post summarised Mr Obama’s reading list as a plight against the current administration, but not by “raging against his enemies or attack the pillars of our democracy”.
“He didn’t call anybody a ‘dog’. He didn’t brag about his own bestsellers – or the size of his book-reading hands,” Mr Charles wrote.
“Instead, he just presented a small window into the mind of a man who appreciates how books can alter the pace of our lives and illuminate the world,” he said.